When Falls the Hammer of Night

Session 2

May 14 19:23:23 Dry|GM: Previously: A broken axle forced the caravan to split at the village of Idura Creek, with the three functional wagons proceeding ahead. Bira, Corwyn, Seong, Sissil, and Zekki were chosen to stay behind with the last wagon.
May 14 19:25:09 Dry|GM: Our erstwhile caravan guards caught a meal and a night’s sleep at the Traveller’s Rest Inn and Tavern; by the time the next morning rolled around, the wagon had been repaired, and is ready to go.
May 14 19:26:51 Dry|GM: The wagon sits now in front of the gates leading out of the village, ready to go; the driver already sits atop the wagon, while the wainwright looks on, apparently making a last inspection of his work.
May 14 19:26:53 Dry|GM: [Time: Late Morning. Place: Village of Idura Creek.]
May 14 19:26:58 Dry|GM: [Free to Act]
May 14 19:27:59 Sissil: Sissil is leaning against a bridge rail nearby, her hood once again pulled far forward to keep her face shadowed.
May 14 19:28:26 Corwyn: “And we’re sure this one won’t break?” Corwyn’s circling the wagon suspiciously. She’s been up for a bit now, hands on her hips as she leans forward and looks at the wheels herself. “Well, I’ll take it, as long as we can get moving soon. Didn’t take as long as I was expecting, so I guess that’s a good thing.”
May 14 19:30:17 Dry|GM: The wainwright looks at Corwyn for a moment, seems to think on that. “Won’t break. Had to do some work on the sockets, though, to hold a bigger axle.” It’s the most words he’s spoken at once since you’ve made his acquaintance.
May 14 19:30:40 Bira: Bira trundles out of the inn, working a kink out of her shoulder. She looks around at the morning sky, then heads for the wagon. “Morning, lad. Feeling better?”
May 14 19:31:49 Dry|GM: The driver nods. He seems… maybe not cheery, but better, at least. “Now that we’re good to go? Aye.”
May 14 19:32:37 Sissil: Sissil hops up onto one of the sideboards, and grabs on.
May 14 19:32:48 Zekki: Zekki had the devils own time convincing the innkeeper to let her dog inside. She does understand, honestly, but when your steed can’t go in the stables without causing a riot, he’s gotta sleep somewhere. Ambrutus, of course, thought it was a Great Lark to be Inside with the People and the Things and the Smells and there was petting. So Much Petting. And now they’re on their way to Go Again and everyone is very interested in this
May 14 19:32:48 Zekki: wheel so he’ll be interested too and sniff at it. Zekki is still in the process of waking up, yawning over a hot cup of something or other, heedless of Ambrutus’ enthusiasm that might be knocking against people. “…Ambrutus. Here.” Abrupt about turn and Gnome is now On Dog, and resumes the I’m not Awake and Don’t Care, waking process.
May 14 19:33:43 Corwyn: She pauses her circling, eyeing the wainwright for a moment before nodding. She stands up a bit straight, adjusting her hat and moving to lean against the wagon. “Alright, then. Suppose that’s that.” She wears a similar outfit to yesterday, though this time a heavy looking jacket covers up much of it. Same hat, though, pulled down just above her eyes in the same manner as before. On her
May 14 19:33:43 Corwyn: shoulder, a small creature – it almost looks like a rodent – perches on her shoulder, watching the others as they arrive.
May 14 19:34:11 * Seong climbs artfully up to the top of the wagon, where she was when this all started. She also lays down and munches on a half-loaf of bread that apparently passes for her breakfast.
May 14 19:35:16 Dry|GM: “Mm.” The wainwright nods agreement. “Heavy,” he adds, patting the wagon once, but doesn’t volunteer anything more; he takes a step back and eyes the wagon critically once more, then nods, seemingly satisfied.
May 14 19:35:53 Bira: She clambers onto the bench. “Marvelous. Remember, metal can’t be shaped without hammer blows.” It’s not entirely accurate, but religious homilies seldom are.
May 14 19:37:17 Dry|GM: “Heh. Not entirely true, but I take yer point,” the driver says, smiling slightly. Then he looks around. “Arright, everyone on?” he calls.
May 14 19:38:05 Zekki: Ambrutus gives the Wainwright’s hand a brief sniffing before licking the fingers with rapid tail-wagging that is a hazard to nearby hips. Or shoulders, depending on the height of those near to hand. Zekki sips her hot breakfast. Probably. “Thank you for your hard work.” She adds to the wainwright. “Mmph. I hate mornings.”
May 14 19:39:32 Dry|GM: The wainwright eyes Zekki with what’s probably amusement; he scratches Ambrutus lightly behind the ears and nods. “’welcome.”
May 14 19:39:33 Corwyn: Corwyn nods, moving to take a spot on the side, but not without eyeing the compatment inside the wagon. If only there was less… stuff. She liked it better in there. “Ready whenever,” she replies back to the driver as her marten hops back down into the bag slung over her shoulder.
May 14 19:41:55 Sissil: Anyone peeking under Sissil’s hood would realize she’s only half awake… even as she realizes nobody’s sat inside yet… and hmphs and takes the seat that was left open!
May 14 19:42:45 Dry|GM: The driver glances around once more to be sure that everyone’s on, then nods once he sees Sissil clamber up inside. “Alright. Movin’ out!” he calls. “Again,” he adds under his breath.
May 14 19:44:03 Dry|GM: The driver shakes the reigns, and the horses snort and begin to move. The wagon rolls smoothly through the gates and out onto the Gemstone Road, leaving the quiet village behind them.
May 14 19:48:12 Zekki: Ambrutus is quite happy to roam along with the wagon, though he does want to investigate the Side Of The Road. Zekki keeps him mostly to the road itself, but then, she didn’t let him roam through the first time either. Not really.
May 14 19:53:54 * Seong is sitting up by the time she finishes her poor excuse for a breakfast. Her eyes scan the road ahead, but her fingers keep fidgeting with a puzzle box.
May 14 19:54:21 Dry|GM: Three hours pass; the wagon travels down the road at a good pace. There is no traffic to speak of, which is not unusual—the road is arguably safe, but even so, the shadow of the Schwarzwald is not a comfortable place for most, and few brave it without good reason.
May 14 19:54:50 Bira: Bira spends her time reading, pausing occasionally to scan the surrounding forest. At one point she flips to a blan ksection and sketches in the head of a deer spotted among the trees.
May 14 19:55:23 Dry|GM: The driver chatters idly pretty much the whole way; he certainly seems to be in better spirits.
May 14 19:55:57 Sissil: Sissil remains quiet inside the wagon. though she watches out to the sides through the windows.
May 14 19:57:49 Dry|GM: “So that’s why I left home,” the driver concludes. He’s been telling a story about a brother dying in a cave-in and deciding he wanted to get out and see the world or somesuch. The wagon passes by a huge rock on the right side—one familiar to those of the guards who travelled this same path north, not so long ago. Just another few hours now…
May 14 19:58:01 Corwyn: Situated at the side of the wagon, Corwyn does her best to remain steady, while also trying her best to relax. It’s a hard balance.
May 14 19:59:48 Dry|GM: Ahead, as the wagon rounds a gentle curve in the road, a huge log comes into view, fallen across the road; a lone man seems to be trying to push the thing out of the way, but it’s not going too well.
May 14 20:01:26 Dry|GM: The wagon driver frowns. “Shale,” he grumbles, slowing the wagon. “Just what I need.”
May 14 20:02:06 * Seong “Is shale even good for anything?” She perks up a bit. “Wait, is that why you guys use it as a curse word?”
May 14 20:02:52 Dry|GM: Despite himself, the driver glances up and grins. “Pretty much.”
May 14 20:03:03 Bira: “It’s decent at making roads, but horrible if you’re trying to tunnel through it, carve it, or build with it.”
May 14 20:03:18 Sissil: Sissil meanwhile says something much more abrasive. In her native tounge. Something about false-snow falling in as she opens the door and jumps out… and her hand is already on the hilt of her blade.
May 14 20:04:03 * Seong glances down at Sissil. Her posture doesn’t change much, but she puts her puzzle box away.
May 14 20:05:05 Dry|GM: The man trying to move the log turns as the wagon pulls up—and takes a step back, his hands coming up as he spots Sissil with a blade. “Shit on a stick, whatever it was I didn’t do it!”
May 14 20:05:14 Zekki: Eventually, Zekki wakes up enough to look around, and do more than tug and guide Ambrutus back onto the road. ..Which means she’s putting together bombs. Click click twist, deposit the load, tweak a few things, put the finished bomb into her pack, take out the next stu— Oh hey a tree. COnveniently completely across the road. Ambrutus slows, more deliberate steps as the gnome eyes the attempts to move it. “Stay. Keep Safe.” That’s
May 14 20:05:14 Zekki: to her dog. She’s not going to let him get injured. “Greetings to the shifting of agriculture, how fares the weather?” No reason not to be friendly. Really.
May 14 20:05:44 Corwyn: “The hells?” Corwyn looks up, pulled from thought by the conversation around her. She tips her hat back up so she can see better, eyeing the road ahead. “You’ve got t’ be kiddin’ me,” she mummers to herself, standing a bit straighter. “This trip is cursed,” she remark, reaching into her bag and removing a pair of gloves.
May 14 20:08:19 Sissil: “Easy. I’m not saying you did it yet.” Sissil offers. “How long you’ve been stuck here, friend?” She calls out, in common. She makes no moves to hide the insignia on her armor… nor does her hand move away from the hilt of her weapon as her eyes scan the forests on the sides of the road.
May 14 20:10:39 Dry|GM: “Obliged,” he says, still eying Sissil; as he gets a better look on her, he takes on a puzzled and somewhat uneasy look—not in reaction to Sissil’s armor, but to Sissil herself. “Um… aren’t you a bit young?” he blurts out after a moment.
May 14 20:11:41 * Seong “We dressed up an eight year old in armor as a joke.” She says matter-of-factly.
May 14 20:11:44 Corwyn: Sliding the gloves on to her hands, Corwyn hops down from her spot as well, moving to lean against the front of the wagon. She can’t help but laugh at his comment though, stopping to cover her mouth as she blurts out a chuckle. “Oh. This is so worth it.” Shaking her head, she looks up at the man. “You know how this happened?”
May 14 20:12:58 Dry|GM: “Shit if I know. This place doesn’t much like people,” he says, rubbing at his head.
May 14 20:13:26 Zekki: Well, Sissil is keeping his attention. Zekki starts to circle around and investigate this tree. Ambrutus is, surprisingly perhaps, sitting at attention, ears perked, and looking to either side of the road. “How’d the tree fall? This is not a place where felling is usually tolerated. Are we in a different forest?”
May 14 20:13:55 Sissil: Sissil turns her head towards the blurting, then grins. “Oh I’m just from a good ways north is all. Short folk.” She shrugs and keeps her hood drawn well forward. No reason to really give the poor man fright.
May 14 20:14:57 Bira: Bira hops down and reaches under the driver’s bench, pulling out a fairly nondescript bar of metal. After twisting and pulling on various parts (And after a false start where she winds up holding what looks more like a battering ram), she deploys a perfectly serviceable wood saw, although one that looks rather more like a bow.
May 14 20:15:24 Dry|GM: He glances to Zekki, and blinks. He starts to look at the rest of the party; it looks as though he thought of something funny, but doesn’t say it. “Trees fall; there’s a lot of ‘em in the forest, it probably wouldn’t miss just one. I wouldn’t want to be the one trying to make a business of it. No way.”
May 14 20:18:52 Zekki: “You’re a long way from well, anywhere. Is there another village a short distance up ahead?” Zekki asks lightly, picking up a fallen branch — well, twig - and poking at the fallen tree as though expecting it to bite.
May 14 20:21:36 * Seong “So you’re walking through the darkwild…” She stands up on the wagon. “And you see a fallen tree and just…decide to be a good person and try to move it?”
May 14 20:22:57 Bira: “Altruism shouldn’t be unexpected,” Bira lightly chastises Seong. “Still, the right tool for the job will make things so much easier.” She moves toward the tree, intent on sawing it.
May 14 20:23:27 Dry|GM: He shakes his head. “Sylmore’s another hour or two,” he says. As Seong speaks up, he frowns… then his lips twitch. “I’m being nice and refraining from saying something like ‘you guys missed the tavern’. Get it? A ‘walks into a tavern joke’?” He pauses for a moment, then shrugs. “But yeah, good question.” He raises a hand to stop Bira; he’s still smiling, but he looks a bit sad.
May 14 20:23:59 * Seong “In my experience, Bira…yes it should.” She turns back to the man.
May 14 20:24:09 Dry|GM: “Hate to say it…” he begins; behind the wagon, there is a sharp crack, and another tree falls. “…but you really should’ve listened to your first instincts.” He says this with a slight bow to Sissil.
May 14 20:24:34 Corwyn: Staring at the man for moments longer, Corwyn’s posture straightens noticably after a few moments, eyes narrowing. Arms disappear back inside her poncho. She looks up at the driver and mouth something to him, looking back to the man. “So, I’m just going to burn this tree down, and we’re going t’ move on.”
May 14 20:25:38 Sissil: And as the crack is heard, the sound of Sissil’s blade coming free from it’s sheath, and her hood “Do it!” She calls up to Corwyn, even as she brushes her hood back, letting her pale features come into sight. “And come those who wish to meet Death a bit more personally.”
May 14 20:26:33 Dry|GM: “Think you can?” he asks, smiling brightly. “I mean, seriously, if you could actually burn this thing down, this trap would suddenly get a whole lot less workable. Kinda suck for us, but them’s the breaks~”
May 14 20:31:32 * Zekki sigh. “You sure we can’t like, come to some agreement? Seriously? We’re not people that are… Oh whatever.” Aaaand there is a growly, snarling barOOO from the dog, not that it really does anything, but it’s the ‘oi alarm’ sound that works to wake everyone up. Zekki pulls out a Bomb She Prepared Earlier, “How about some kindling for the fire?”
May 14 20:32:34 Bira: As the second tree falls, Bira’s eyebrows go up. “Ah, interesting.”
May 14 20:33:01 Sissil: “The question is more weither they can burn a path forward before I cut the lot of you to ribbons. But I guess we’ll just have to see, won’t we?” She grins, perhaps a bit -too brightly.
May 14 20:41:41 Dry|GM: You hear a low, harsh laugh coming from the side of the path, then a second, as two figures stride out, sneering—a dwarf in heavy armor, and a woman with the clear mark of orc blood in her ancestry… one who is holding a familiar haversack, though the last time you saw it it wasn’t smeared with reddish brown.
May 14 20:46:16 Bira: “I think that’s mine, could you return it?” Bira points at the haversack with her free hand, the other still holding the saw. Her book, it should be noted, is back on the wagon bench.
May 14 20:47:41 * Seong chuckles, and she’s on the hooded figure like a shot, running in a blur and slamming her knee into his gut. “Ha! Let’s play a game. You in?” she’s talking to her victim, but it seems he can’t answer just yet…
May 14 20:55:39 Dry|GM: The dwarf in the undergrowth actually laughs. “Give it back?!” He pops his neck, then raises the huge hammer he holds in his hands and comes barreling forward, slamming Bira with a brutal sideswipe. “Heh. Give it back. You’re funny.”
May 14 20:56:27 Bira: Bira coughs and clutches her side. “You… want funny? I was about to say it never hurts to ask.”
May 14 20:57:51 Dry|GM: The other bandit is… less than amused by this. In fact, judging by her bloodshot eyes and the foam starting to come out of her mouth, she isn’t amused at all. “Quit. Screwing. Around. You shale-brained shitstick!” She howls, pulls out a blade that… looks like a much abused meat-cleaver… and rushes into the fray.
May 14 21:01:16 Dry|GM: She howls. And howls. And howls. She hacks at Corwyn with a slice that… well, she’s not even trading postcards with technique at this point, but she gets points for fury and speed and… more fury.
May 14 21:08:15 Corwyn: Reflexively, Corwyn raises her arms in defense, she yelps as the crude weapon slices across her arms and torso, shedding parts of her poncho. “You psychotic piece of-” What follows isn’t so much words as frustrated grumbling. With surprising agility, she hops back, eyes glowing a firey hue for a moment as her bleeding arm reaches into what’s left of her poncho. “Make sure they don’t
May 14 21:08:15 Corwyn: live!” she shouts out, sounding perhaps more like one of them as she rises to her feet, and in a fast motion her arm is back out, extended, and there’s a sudden crack bang of sound as fires a pistol, silver and decorated at the maauder.
May 14 21:10:06 Bira: Whatever Bira says next is unintelligible to all or nearly all of the people around her, but it seems to be about the glistening golden hammer that appears above her hand for a moment as she steps back, before the hammer smacks the opposing dwarf atop the helmet with a sound more akin to the ringing of an anvil.
May 14 21:21:27 Zekki: “Drat it all, now I feel bad.” Zekki mutters, with the blood-stained bag and the orc berserker. Seong has the Peasant well in hand, but that orc is causing troubles. Moving back along the tree-stump, Zekki calls out, in the orc’s own mother tongue, something singularly unflattering and intimations that in a fist fight with a mouse the orc would fail to touch one whisker. And in one hand, she has a bomb, ready to light and throw into
May 14 21:21:27 Zekki: orc-face.
May 14 21:28:39 Sissil: Sissil throws herself up the side of the wagon then jumps from it, spinning in mid air to skitter along the dirt and dust of the road, before slamming her blade in a strong thrust into the orc’s legs, her stance ready to whip around as needed. “Bad choice.”
May 14 21:30:35 Dry|GM: Out of everything, it’s Bira’s comment that finally shakes the driver out of his shock. He laughs incredulously… then remembers where he’s at. He ducks behind the bench, pulling out a crossbow and lining up a shot with the hammer-wielding dwarf… which connects dead on, drawing a grunt of annoyance and an evil look. “Get out of here, laggard!” the driver taunts.
May 14 21:36:00 Dry|GM: Things seem to be going well… and then…
May 14 21:36:36 Dry|GM: A flicker of shadow, and suddenly an arrow strikes Sissil.
May 14 21:37:23 Sissil: Sissil hisses as the arrow manages to nick her cheek. She looks annoyed more than serious wounded.
May 14 21:41:31 * Seong wheels around for another swift, brutal kick, but her follow-up hand strikes fail to connect. She drops into a leaned-back stance, hands in front. “Here’s the rules. Hit me.”
May 14 21:44:26 Dry|GM: Hood takes a step back from the kick, and he’s breathing heavily… but at Seong’s comment, he… laughs? “Ach, godsdamn… last time someone hit me that hard, it was a wagon falling on me.” He’s smiling—he seems to be legitimately delighted. “No holds barred? Fine! Outstanding! We’re supposed to touch fists first, you know, but… circumstances and all.” He shrugs. “Still… let’s just enjoy the fight, eh? Been too long!”
May 14 21:50:36 Dry|GM: Hood slips to the left, but the real attack comes from the right—a deceptively quick low wheel kick of his own, aimed at Seong’s heels, but she’s able to slip aside. Hood beams. “Damn, but you’re good. I wish I’d met someone as good as you in my days in the ring—would’ve been a fight the crowd’d never forgotten.”
May 14 21:59:55 Dry|GM: “Shut yer fuckin’ mouth and fight, damn you!” snarls the dwarf, who looks to be at nearly the same risk of apoplexy as his comrade now. “Rose, trade me dance partners!” he calls. Sissil blocks the way, but with a roar he lowers his head and charges, broadsiding Corwyn with a blow that’s probably felt on the other side of the Schwarzwald. He doesn’t get past Sissil’s nimble rapier without consequence, though.
May 14 22:05:30 Dry|GM: The orc eyes her dwarven comrade for a moment, but even in her fury she’s still able to tell that some people shouldn’t be carved and disemboweled. When her mad eye alights on Sissil, though, she shows no such restraint. She howls and swings, a strike fit to bisect Sissil… but somehow she manages to dive, barely scraping under the orc’s murderous blade. A single scrap of cloth clings to the orc’s blade, showing how near the miss was.
May 14 22:23:27 Corwyn: Corwyn spins from the blow, almost falling face first into the wagon. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” she cough out as she pushes back off of the wagon and into a spin. She hops agian, back this time once more. “Tá mé go raibh go leor !” she shouts, one hand moving to hold on to her hat as she raises her gun once more – not yet reloaded – and again pulls the trigger.
May 14 22:23:33 Corwyn: When the hammer strikes flint, for a split second it seems like nothing happens – and then suddenly fire explodes forth from the barrel. Full, flowing fire exploding out in front of Corwyn, scorching the brush and trees as it wraps around the orc and the dwarf, engulking the area in front of her whole a few brief moments before vanishing into the ephemral air it was conjured from. Smoke
May 14 22:23:33 Corwyn: rises from the tip, black and scorched for a moment before that too fades. She stands, hand still on hat as heatwinds whip back past her, blowing through the remains of her poncho. “Stop playing with them and kill them already!”
May 14 22:24:07 Bira: Bira shifts backwards a little, and there’s another loud clang as the flying hammer knocks against the dwarf’s armor, but seems to have no effect. Bira spreads her arms and begins to chant, her voice rising into song at points.
May 14 22:24:40 Dry|GM: The horses don’t like that much at all, but thankfully they’re pretty well trained; the driver is able to keep them under control, though it takes some effort.
May 14 22:34:03 Zekki: “Stupid orc, can’t even charge right…” Mutter, grumble from Zekki as Ambrutus bravely high tails it away from the fire and the fighting and the scary things to hide behind one of the wheels of the wagon. Or, well, attempt to. “Hey handsome, catch!” The bomb that was going to go into orc-face instead goes towards Seongs dance partner. Who fumbles the catch and drops it, resulting in boom mostly against the tree, likely.
May 14 22:45:03 Sissil: Meanwhile Sissil slashes the blade out of the raging half-orc’s hands, causing it to fall out of the woman’s grip and tumble along the dirt, even as Sissil turns her momentum into a spinning thrust, scoring a particularly deep hit before she dances back. “… Dead woman walking.” She scoffs at what she sees in her foe.
May 14 22:50:12 * Seong ducks the bomb to give Zekki a better toss, but pays no mind to the blast, simply wheeling around again for two more wild kicks.
May 14 22:57:20 Dry|GM: Hood pitches the bomb immediately, giving a cry as the bomb hits the ground and unleashes a rolling wave of fire; he sways and weaves enough to dodge Seong’s kicks, but he’s not smiling anymore. “Unsportsmanlike conduct… but then, I can’t complain.” He looks over to what’s happening with his allies and clearly doesn’t like it.
May 14 22:58:18 Dry|GM: “Looks like I’m gonna have to throw in the towel on this one. Maybe we can fight again sometime, huh? This shit… this ain’t what it’s cracked up to be. Not like in the songs.” He takes a breath, firms his stance once more, lowers a shoulder, and moves towards Seong… then past.
May 14 23:00:06 * Seong “Nobody sings about thieves. When the wheel turns for you, don’t forget that.” She lands a backfist as he passes, spinning in place to watch.
May 14 23:01:28 Dry|GM: A laugh—albeit a somewhat winded one—from the trees. “Oh, but they do! Go into any tavern and ask for a song of Jack the Rider!”
May 14 23:04:28 Zekki: “Mind the little people, our natural target is your balls.” Zekki calls out cheerfully, debating on whether or not it would be worth it to send a bolt into the trees after the Hood.
May 14 23:04:58 Dry|GM: The dwarf glares at Hood’s retreating form, but he doesn’t say anything; he looks at the berserker and looks torn. “Shale…” he swears. “Rose!” he calls to the half-orc, but she’s beyond hearing him; he knows the truth of the words Sissil had said. “Damn you. I ever see any of you again, I’ma pull your livers out through your noses ANDFEEDTHEM TO THEDEVOURER!!” He snarls and bolts for the underbrush.
May 14 23:05:55 Dry|GM: The berserker, true enough, doesn’t seem to hear, doesn’t seem ready to do anything other than kill. She howls and swings one more time at Sissil.
May 14 23:09:02 Dry|GM: Sissil’s rapier, needle quick, pierces the half-orc’s heart. A low, strangled moan comes from her lips, and she falls to one knee… but not flat. She raises her head one last time, glaring hatred… and only then does she die, that expression of hate and rage still on her face.
May 14 23:23:12 Corwyn: “What- So you can dish it, but you can’t take it?” Corwyn laughs, a little maniacal sounding as the retreat begins. “But that’s no fun!” She looks to the dwarf, and then to Bira – she has it handled, the gunslinger assumes, holding on to her hat as she tries to painfully sprint forward part the front of the cart. She doens’t spot the hooded man, not at first – until she sees he’s taken
May 14 23:23:12 Corwyn: his own retreat. Snarling, she raises her pistol and aims it foward, again pulling the trigger. Again, at first nothing seems to happen, but in a split moment a small orb of spinning fire flies out like a bullet, hurtling through the trees until it reaches her mark – the hooded man.
May 14 23:23:14 Corwyn: In a moment, it explodes in a confluencce of violent fire, much more destructive and of larger scale than previous. “Dóigh.” she remarks, before resuming laughing. “I wasn’t joking when I said I’d burn it down, you miserable jackhole!” Lwowering her gun, she smiles, pleased with herself. One less thing to deal with, right?
May 14 23:24:19 Corwyn: THe laughter fades quickly though, eyes narrowing as Corwyn looks around suspiciously. Something didn’t feel right. Nothing feels right about this place, but more so than usual.
May 14 23:27:21 * Seong “Woah, gunlady. Pretty sure we shouldn’t actually burn the forest down.”
May 14 23:28:05 Dry|GM: “GAH!” The hooded man hits the ground and rolls a bit, rolling out of sight across a low slope. There’s some low groaning and scuffling from over in that direction.
May 14 23:29:44 Bira: There’s another distant clang as the hammer runs head-first into a tree the dwarf ducks under, then Bira finishes chanting, and above her in the trees, white-hot molten metal pours from out of nowhere, forming gleaming silver-gold chitin as a giant spider forms. Both Bira and the spider look around in confusion.
May 14 23:30:14 Bira: “Cah heath? Victorissal?”
May 14 23:33:40 Sissil: Sissil frowns at the threat. “You can surrender, or you can die.” Her voice is deathly calm as it carries… “Just remember who opened hostilities, if you decide the second. I take no joy in ending life.” If anything, she sounds sad as she takes the briefest moment to salute her fallen foe, Then she turns her attention to the dwarf. The slight warrior is fast and has little trouble keeping up with the figure. “Now, what was
May 14 23:33:40 Sissil: that about livers?”
May 14 23:35:35 Zekki: “Oi. Hey!” Zekki hops down off of the fallen tree, making her way towards Corwyn, fishing through her bag in the process and pulling out a vial of potion, “Drink this. You’ll feel better, and stop limping. Probably.”
May 14 23:39:09 Dry|GM: “Your liver. Through your nose. Feed it to the Devourer,” he spits. At this range you can tell that he’s hurt, and yes, he’s probably scared… but he doesn’t seem inclined to roll over. “You’re not taking me to the damn vampire, bitch.”
May 14 23:40:05 Sissil: “As I said, you can surrender, I’ll accept it, and gracefully at that. Or I can chase you far enough into these woods that whatever lives here will do the eating. Your call. And No, I’ll be taking you to the caravan destination and the company that paid for the delivery of the goods and paid for my services as a guard on this trip.”
May 14 23:41:23 Dry|GM: The dwarf hesitates for a moment… then shakes his head and smiles. “Will you now?” Behind Sissil, a faint flickering can be seen from the wagon, accompanied by a curl of smoke.
May 14 23:47:21 Zekki: Bark bark barooooo bark bark wuff graaroul! Ambrutus is very Alarmed at the Smoke and the Fire, and the fight and the noise and there is a giant Spider. Okay so he spent most of the fight alternatively hiding against/underneath the wagon and barking at the combatants, or whining. But such things fade into the background during Combat! For Zekki, potion delivered to Corwyn, now she’s to go calm down her dog and… “Fire!” By the moon
May 14 23:47:21 Zekki: and stars.
May 14 23:49:39 Sissil: Sissil frowns, and looks over her shoulder, then, quite blandly, in dwarven. “Shale. This trip has been nothing but trouble.” She sighs. "I"m sorry about your friend." She states as she suddenly dashes back towards the wagon, pulling off her cloak and her canteen in the process… She dumps the water onto the cloak and begins beating out the flames with the wet cloth.
May 14 23:51:46 Dry|GM: The dwarf’s face twists in rage and pain… then he hisses and vanishes into the forest. The grass seems greener where blood from his wounds has dripped onto it.
May 14 23:54:46 Bira: Bira looks at the fire, walks over, and casually summons water on top of it. A few things will need to be dried out when they arrive and one of the cheeses will have n intriguing smoky flavor, but that’s better than the alternative.
May 14 23:55:33 * Seong sighs, and starts dragging Rose’s body to the side of the road, covering it to make any scavengers’ lives harder.
May 14 23:55:55 Corwyn: Corwyn eyes the gnome for a moment, before taking the concotion and downing it. It feels better, but only for a moment beforeher expression twists into one of anger as she sees the hooded man get up and take off again. “Wha- hey, no fair! You’re supposed t’ be on fire!” She calls out after him. She takes two steps forward, looking like she’s about to break into a sprint- but never
May 14 23:55:55 Corwyn: does. He’s too far out of sight, enough that no magic or fancy shooting will catch him. What follows after is a barrage of curses in various languages as she sets about reloading her gun. She’s about done when she sniffs, notcing the acrid smell of smoke.
May 14 23:55:56 Corwyn: “Did I actually set the forest on- oh shit.” She turns and stops when she sees the smoke rising from the wagon. “I didn’t do this one! I swear!” she shouts as she tosses her ripped poncho aside – she has another in her bag – and reholsters her pistol. “I don’t do water. Does anyone here do water?”
May 14 23:57:04 Corwyn: “OH good, Bira does water. Fantastic. I would like to point out again that that wasn’t me. I aimed away from the wagon.” Corwyn nods, as if affirming this for herself. “Where’s the dwarf? Did he get away too?”
May 14 23:57:09 Dry|GM: The fire is quickly extinguished, thankfully; the damage done is minor, thanks to the quick action of the guards. Within a minute, the only sign that a fire ever burned at all is a single partially burned arrow laying in the floor of the wagon.
May 14 23:58:55 Bira: “Huh.” Bira leans in and snags the arrow. “I didn’t see anyone with a bow. Did anyone else?”
May 14 23:59:00 Zekki: “…” Zekki lets out a sigh at the arrow, climbing into the wagon to see what’s damaged, a little wet foot is okay. The perishables are repositioned out of puddles, so they don’t rot, but most are in wooden crates so that’s fine. “I don’t think our gracious hosts are finished with us.”
May 14 23:59:41 Sissil: Sissil frowns at the arrow. “WHoever there accomplise was, I credit them with being very good at moving unseen.” Sissil sighs. She then does apprasal of how damaged her cloak is. And ends up just cutting it off below the shoulders so she can keep the hood for now. “We have a tree to get out of the way. Preferably both of them.”
May 14 23:59:59 * Seong arranges the body in as respectable a position as she can think of. She doesn’t actually know anything about burial, and assumes at least the dwarf will be back for the body later.
May 15 00:00:59 Sissil: Sissil meanwhile has removed the haversack to return it to its owner before the body is positioned… as well as check the beserker’s own pockets.
May 15 00:07:21 Sissil: Once done returning haversack, and putting a few minor finds into her bag, she picks up the blade she disarmed from the chain-mail wearing half-orc, and plants it above the half-orc’s head, much like a headstone. And gives, surprisingly, a salute with her own blade, before cleaning it off on what’s left of her cloak, which she uses as a very awkward and inadquet shroud.
May 15 00:11:51 Sissil: “… Well. That’s… not good.” She states as she looks at a bit of paper she had found.
May 15 00:12:34 Sissil: “It looks like they tore the other wagons apart looking for something. and ‘burn the bodies’.” She frowns.
May 15 00:13:09 * Seong “They weren’t in this for the money, or else they would’ve hocked the haversack and laid low.”
May 15 00:13:36 Bira: “Hmm?” Bira looks up from rummaging through the haversack. “…Oh. Also, we’re down a few kegs of fire-ale, so the delivery is gonna be just… this.”
May 15 00:13:52 Corwyn: “What the hell is in this caravan besides some aburdly strong booze?” Corwyn asks, hands on hips as she continues to look out at the forest around them. “I can’t imagine what they could’ve wanted that bad.”
May 15 00:14:00 Sissil: “… whatever it was, must be in this wagon.”
May 15 00:14:56 Sissil: Sissil shares the paper. In common, but hard to read, is a few words: ‘four wagons’ ‘time.’ ‘, take them apart’ ‘look for’ ‘inside’ ‘heavy’. ‘Burn the corpses’.
May 15 00:16:32 Sissil: Sissil looks to the driver, then to the roads. “How long will it take to get the road clear?” She asks as she eyes the various casks and goods in the wagon.
May 15 00:20:05 Bira: “Heavy… Didn’t the wainwright mention he needed a bigger axle? If whatever we’re carrying and they wanted was in here, that would probably explain why the axle broke in the first place.”
May 15 00:21:05 Dry|GM: The driver is eying the tree in front of him with a worried expression. “That… is a big tree. Can’t move the thing; that lummox couldn’t have, even if he actually HAD wanted to.”
May 15 00:21:11 * Ash has quit (Quit: Connection closed for inactivity)
May 15 00:21:17 Sissil: “indeed.” She frowns and stomps her foot in fustration. “Something isn’t right here.”
May 15 00:21:41 * Seong “Yeah. False compartments, obviously. Let’s focus on the tree.”
May 15 00:22:08 Corwyn: “I’ve already been told not to burn down the fire once, so…” COrwyn shrugs uncomfortably. “Something hasn’t been right here for a while. We shouldn’t have let those people get away. We’re not safe here.”
May 15 00:22:09 Bira: “Right. Wait until we’re not in the middle of the forest and running late.” Bira grabs the saw again and heads for the tree.
May 15 00:23:47 Zekki: “I’ve some acid in my pack. I’m not sure whether I’d be able to eat through enough of the tree to clear the path before I run out though.” Zekki points out, scanning the surrounging trees again, “Or if it’ll clear enough to get us going before we getmore company.”
May 15 00:24:01 Sissil: “I’m less then useless against that tree…” Sissil notes. “… I can say that dwarf used a style I’ve not heard of much, and you see even less of. He learned it somewhere.”
May 15 00:25:09 Corwyn: “Can’t we just go around the stupid thing? Or is the axel going to break again if we do?” Corwyn seems a bit exasperated, climbing up into the wagon. “Or get Ms. Firebomb over here to burn it away. Or let me do it. But I don’t want to stay here much longer.”
May 15 00:25:33 Sissil: “Burn it. We don’t have the time to waste. I don’t want to be here either.”
May 15 00:26:49 Sissil: “Not enough room to get the wagon around it.” Sissil looks at the obstical. “The next safe spot to stop, we’re going over the wagon with a fine tooth comb.” She states blandly. “I don’t like getting used.”
May 15 00:26:58 Dry|GM: “As soon as you get that tree outta my way, I’ll get us out of here,” the driver says, patting the horses. They seem a bit nervous.
May 15 00:28:55 Bira: Bira has, through judicious application of the saw, gotten an inch into the tree trunk and discovered the tree is larger across than her saw blade. “…Maybe we should burn it. Or I can bring in some giant ants, they might be able to haul it out of the way.”
May 15 00:31:11 * Zekki eyes the trees, licking a finger and holding her hand up over her head to see if she can feel the wind that is making the movements. Nada. Right. It’s probably nothing, but she’s pulling out her crossbow from her pack, loading up a bolt and firing at the moving branches. Or well, in that general direction.
May 15 00:31:53 Dry|GM: The crossbow bolt strikes home! There is a loud thunk, and a bolt is embedded in the side of a tree.
May 15 00:32:29 * Seong “Ants sounds like the better idea.”
May 15 00:32:50 Sissil: “Either ants or fire, I don’t care, I just want out of this stretch of forest before more goes wrong. Oh. Zekki wasn’t it? You are good at identifying potions, yeah?”
May 15 00:33:43 Sissil: Sissil hands over two flasks that look, well, kinda groty. They have seen better days. “WHen we get to wherever we are relaxing tonight, can you look those over?”
May 15 00:34:28 Zekki: “Hmm?” Zekki is a little distracted, frowning at the trees thoughtfully, glancing down towards Sissil briefly — she’s standing ontop of the caravan — “…ew. Yeah, I’ll have a look and see what’s in them.” And there’s the hop down to take the flasks and haversack them.
May 15 00:42:05 Dry|GM: So the survivors of the caravan ponder the mysteries that are beginning to emerge around their journey… while also pondering the more immediate problem of how to get these ridiculously unwieldy logs out of their way before the bandits come back to cause more problems, probably with friends.
May 15 00:42:54 Dry|GM: Will they make it to the end of their journey? Or will ravenous wendigos devour them?
May 15 00:43:15 Dry|GM: Next time, on Hammer of Night: Answers? And Questions.
May 15 00:43:23 Bira: One thing is certain: Dwarves taste great with barbecue sauce.